Praise for Measure What Matters to Customers: Using Key Predictive Indicators

"From his wit to his insights, Ron Baker has done it again! As one of the best management thinkers of our time, he has taken on the field of measurement and given us the gift of knowledge so we may move ahead as well."
--Reed Holden, founder, Holden Advisors Corp., www.holdenadvisors.com, coauthor, The Strategy and Tactics of Pricing

"Baker's book evolves the rationale for defining the success of a business the same way the customer does. With impeccable logic, he leads the charge for effectiveness over efficiency by shining the spotlight on the realities of today's knowledge economy. Measure What Matters to Customers is a Rosetta stone for leaders who are trying to translate what they measure into value for the customer."
--Thomas Finneran, Executive Vice President, American Association of Advertising Agencies

"I have read literally hundreds of business books and no author has entertained, educated, challenged, and extended my thinking more than Ron Baker. Ron is a gifted storyteller who, in a disarmingly simple way, shares with his readers an extraordinarily powerful message. In Measure What Matters to Customers, Ron provides us with an elegant justification, together with a practical framework, for developing metrics that truly reflect what's important to the people who, at the end of the day, determine the destiny of any organization--its customers. If you play a role in contributing to the success of any entity, whether it is a for-profit or nonprofit, you and the organization you serve will benefit immensely from this book."
--Ric Payne, President and CEO, Principa, www.principa.net

"We have known since the 1960s, when Xerox did extensive research, that employee satisfaction - customer satisfaction - profitability, yet the vast majority of companies measure only the latter. Why? Because we have a learning disability, that's why! In Measure What Matters to Customers, Ron Baker slaps us in the face with a generous dose of logic to help us correct our blind wandering through the labyrinth of lagging indicators like revenue and profitability, in favor of key predictive indicators that define success the same way our customers do. Hmmm, maybe we will get it this time?"
--Ed Kless, Director, Partner Development and Recruitment, Sage Software

"Ron Baker has done it again--this is the most helpful business book that I have read. In it, Ron continues his relentless focus on customer value, challenging the reader to rethink their definition of success. It provides both a solid theoretical foundation and proven practical steps that can be implemented in your business today to become a truly customer-focused organization. Lead your organization to the next level by measuring what matters to customers."
--Brendon Harrex, Chairman, Ward Wilson Ltd., Invercargill, New Zealand

"Yet more insights from Ron Baker that force us to challenge conventional norms--norms that keep us missing the really important stuff. Read this book and discover that there absolutely is an opportunity to move way beyond where you are now, into new realms of real relevance--indeed into new ways of delivering a far better customer experience. Yet again, Ron Baker provides a fabulous pathway."
--Paul Dunn, founder and CEO, ResultsNet Australia, www.resultsnetaustralia.com, coauthor, TheFirm of the Future: A Guide for Accountants, Lawyers, and Other Professional Services

Features Useful for practitioners and quants in the financial industry who need to make choices between pricing models of variance derivatives. Fabulous resource for researchers interested in pricing and hedging issues of variance derivatives and VIX products. Could be used as a textbook in a topic course on pricing variance derivatives at universities.

Proven currency-specific trading strategies from one of today's top currency analysts

"If you trade currency, then you need to have this book on your desk. It's the only book you need for technical analysis of the fastest-moving market on the planet."
--Rob Booker, Currency Trader, W.R. Booker & Company

"In plain English, Schlossberg lays out the basics in using technical analysis to trade foreign currencies, from the fundamentals of how the FX market works to the variety of technical strategies and trade management techniques traders can employ. Along the way, he offers entertaining examples and observations as well as simple, easy-to-read charts and diagrams. Anyone interested in getting started in the hugely popular FX market would do well to begin with this book."
--Sarah Rudolph, Executive Editor, SFO Magazine

"Boris Schlossberg has done a fabulous job with this book. It's packed with insightful tips and strategies that are sure to save traders a lot of time and money."
--Cory Janssen, CoFounder, Investopedia.com

"Schlossberg's book is a great resource for traders just starting out in currency markets. His focus on simplicity is critical for a new trader's education on how to make money."
--Andrew B. Busch, Global FX Strategist, BMO Financial Group

A detailed, multi-disciplinary approach to investment analytics Portfolio Construction and Analytics provides an up-to-date understanding of the analytic investment process for students and professionals alike. With complete and detailed coverage of portfolio analytics and modeling methods, this book is unique in its multi-disciplinary approach. Investment analytics involves the input of a variety of areas, and this guide provides the perspective of data management, modeling, software resources, and investment strategy to give you a truly comprehensive understanding of how today's firms approach the process. Real-world examples provide insight into analytics performed with vendor software, and references to analytics performed with open source software will prove useful to both students and practitioners. Portfolio analytics refers to all of the methods used to screen, model, track, and evaluate investments. Big data, regulatory change, and increasing risk is forcing a need for a more coherent approach to all aspects of investment analytics, and this book provides the strong foundation and critical skills you need. * Master the fundamental modeling concepts and widely used analytics * Learn the latest trends in risk metrics, modeling, and investment strategies * Get up to speed on the vendor and open-source software most commonly used * Gain a multi-angle perspective on portfolio analytics at today's firms Identifying investment opportunities, keeping portfolios aligned with investment objectives, and monitoring risk and performance are all major functions of an investment firm that relies heavily on analytics output. This reliance will only increase in the face of market changes and increased regulatory pressure, and practitioners need a deep understanding of the latest methods and models used to build a robust investment strategy. Portfolio Construction and Analytics is an invaluable resource for portfolio management in any capacity.

"Dark Pools" is a practical text dealing with the increasingly important topic of dark pools, or non-displayed, off-exchange trading and liquidity. It discusses the development of the equity trading marketplace over the past two decades and how dark pools may evolve in a post-financial crisis world.

With its hip style and cutting-edge techniques, The Morningstar Company has positioned itself as the nation's leading authority on fund performance, and this book, aimed at the dynamic Baby Boomer and Generation X crowds that made Motley Fool's Guide to Investing a major success, reveals its secrets for the very first time to show how anyone can win the mutual fund game. National targeted ads/media.

Asset management has become central to the development of the financial industry, both in the United States and Europe. The increasing number of cross-border merger and acquisition operations and the extremely high valuations that are put on those operations are evidence of the major financial establishments' desire to invest in a sector that they consider to be essential to their strategy of globalising and "financialising" their activities.

Asset management's transition from an "art and craft" to an industry has inevitably called integrated business models into question, favouring specialisation strategies based on cost optimisation and learning curve objectives.

Faced with an abundance of tools and academic references, it is important to place all the practices, empirical studies and innovations in their context, given that they are always described as "major" by their promoters in the area of portfolio theory.

"Portfolio Theory and Performance Analysis" allow the professionals, whether managers or investors, to take a step back and c learly separate true innovations from mere improvements to well-known, existing techniques; puts into context the importance of innovations with regard to the fundamental portfolio management questions, which are the evolution of the investment management process, risk analysis and performance measurement; takes the explicit or implicit assumptions contained in the promoted tools into account and, by so doing, evaluate the inherent interpretative or practical limits.

This book connects each of the major categories of techniques and practices to the unifying and seminal conceptual developments of modern portfolio theory, whether theseinvolve measuring the return on a portfolio, analysing portfolio risk or evaluating the quality of the portfolio management process.

The updated edition of the guide to building trading systems that can keep pace with the market

The stock market is constantly evolving, and coupled with the new global economic landscape, traders need to radically rethink the way they do business at home and abroad. Enter "Building Winning Trading Systems, Second Edition," the all-new incarnation of the established text on getting the most out of the trading world. With technology now a pervasive element of every aspect of trading, the issue has become how to create a new system that meets the demands of the altered financial climate, and how to make it work.

Giving voice to the question on every trader and investor's lips, the book asks, "How can we build a trading system that will be paramount for our increasingly stressed markets?" The answer? Establish mechanical trading systems that remove human emotion from the equation and form the cornerstone of a complete trading plan and with greater agility, characteristics that are more important than ever given the kinetic pace of the markets.Presents an all-new strategy for trading systems that will show traders how to create systems that will work in the twenty first centuryExpert advice from highly respected trading authority, George PruittIncludes a new website featuring updated TradeStation code and shows how to use the world's best investment software platform to develop and utilize trading systems that really work

Once again paving the way for traders who want to adapt to their environment, "Building Winning Trading Systems, Second Edition" combines expertise in indicator design and system building in one indispensable volume.

The irreverent guide to investing, Boglehead style The Boglehead's Guide to Investing is a DIY handbook that espouses the sage investment wisdom of John C. Bogle. This witty and wonderful book offers contrarian advice that provides the first step on the road to investment success, illustrating how relying on typical "common sense" promoted by Wall Street is destined to leave you poorer. This updated edition includes new information on backdoor Roth IRAs and ETFs as mainstream buy and hold investments, estate taxes and gifting, plus changes to the laws regarding Traditional and Roth IRAs, and 401k and 403b retirement plans. With warnings and principles both precisely accurate and grandly counterintuitive, the Boglehead authors show how beating the market is a zero-sum game. Investing can be simple, but it's certainly not simplistic. Over the course of twenty years, the followers of John C. Bogle have evolved from a loose association of investors to a major force with the largest and most active non-commercial financial forum on the Internet. The Boglehead's Guide to Investing brings that communication to you with comprehensive guidance to the investment prowess on display at Bogleheads.org. You'll learn how to craft your own investment strategy using the Bogle-proven methods that have worked for thousands of investors, and how to: Choose a sound financial lifestyle and diversify your portfolio Start early, invest regularly, and know what you're buying Preserve your buying power, keeping costs and taxes low Throw out the "good" advice promoted by Wall Street that leads to investment failure Financial markets are essentially closed systems in which one's gain garners another's loss. Investors looking for a roadmap to successfully navigating these choppy waters long-term will find expert guidance, sound advice, and a little irreverent humor in The Boglehead's Guide to Investing.

Consumer Credit and the American Economy examines the economics, behavioral science, sociology, history, institutions, law, and regulation of consumer credit in the United States.
After discussing the origins and various kinds of consumer credit available in today's marketplace, this book reviews at some length the long run growth of consumer credit to explore the widely held belief that somehow consumer credit has risen "too fast for too long." It then turns to demand and supply with chapters discussing neoclassical theories of demand, new behavioral economics, and evidence on production costs and why consumer credit might seem expensive compared to some other kinds of credit like government finance. This discussion includes review of the economics of risk management and funding sources, as well discussion of the economic theory of why some people might be limited in their credit search, the phenomenon of credit rationing. This examination includes review of issues of risk management through mathematical methods of borrower screening known as credit scoring and financial market sources of funding for offerings of consumer credit.
The book then discusses technological change in credit granting. It examines how modern automated information systems called credit reporting agencies, or more popularly "credit bureaus," reduce the costs of information acquisition and permit greater credit availability at less cost. This discussion is followed by examination of the logical offspring of technology, the ubiquitous credit card that permits consumers access to both payments and credit services worldwide virtually instantly.
After a chapter on institutions that have arisen to supply credit to individuals for whom mainstream credit is often unavailable, including "payday loans" and other small dollar sources of loans, discussion turns to legal structure and the regulation of consumer credit. There are separate chapters on the theories behind the two main thrusts of federal regulation to this point, fairness for all and financial disclosure. Following these chapters, there is another on state regulation that has long focused on marketplace access and pricing.
Before a final concluding chapter, another chapter focuses on two noncredit marketplace products that are closely related to credit. The first of them, debt protection including credit insurance and other forms of credit protection, is economically a complement. The second product, consumer leasing, is a substitute for credit use in many situations, especially involving acquisition of automobiles. This chapter is followed by a full review of consumer bankruptcy, what happens in the worst of cases when consumers find themselves unable to repay their loans.
Because of the importance of consumer credit in consumers' financial affairs, the intended audience includes anyone interested in these issues, not only specialists who spend much of their time focused on them. For this reason, the authors have carefully avoided academic jargon and the mathematics that is the modern language of economics. It also examines the psychological, sociological, historical, and especially legal traditions that go into fully understanding what has led to the demand for consumer credit and to what the markets and institutions that provide these products have become today.

While most books on trading deal with general concepts and shy away from specifics, "Forex Patterns and Probabilities" provides you with real-world strategies and a rare sense of clarity about the specific mechanics of currency trading. Leading trading educator Ed Ponsi will explain the driving forces in the currency markets and will provide strategies to enter, exit, and manage successful trades. Dozens of chart examples and explanations will guide you each step of the way and allow the reader to "look over the shoulder" of a professional trader hard at work at his craft.

This book provides traders with step-by-step methodologies that are based on real market tendencies. The strategies in this book are presented clearly and in detail, so that anyone who wishes to can learn how to trade like a professional. It is written in a style that is easy to understand, so that the reader can quickly learn and use the techniques provided.

Structured products and Related credit derivatives

With new structured asset products continuously being introduced to today's markets, it's important for experienced and aspiring investors to understand the essential aspects of these financial instruments. Structured Products and Related Credit Derivatives can help you achieve this goal.

Filled with the in-depth insights and expert advice of numerous experienced contributors--and edited by financial professionals Brian Lancaster, Glenn Schultz, and Frank Fabozzi--Structured Products and Related Credit Derivatives puts this complex field in perspective.

Divided into five comprehensive sections, this informative guide:

Provides an accessible account of the different types of asset-backed securities (ABS), including residential, auto, and ABS credit derivatives

Addresses issues in the collateralized debt obligations (CDO) market through discussions of CDO equity, middle market CDOs, and commercial real estate

Examines commercial ABS components such as aircraft securitization, intermodal equipment, and life insurance reserve securitization

And much more

With the world of structured products and credit derivatives constantly evolving, you need to have a firm understanding of how to effectively operate in such a dynamic environment. The information found throughout these pages will help you do this, and much more, as you go about your everyday investment endeavors.

Woodward, Nigh, and their colleagues provide a comprehensive investigation of foreign ownership in the United States. Based on the latest, most reliable data and comprising the viewpoints of leading authorities on foreign direct investment, the book offers detailed, previously unpublished information on the effects of foreign direct investment in the United States. The authors find that foreign-owned and domestic corporations are similar in many aspects of their behavior and its effects on the U.S. economy and society, but there are important differences too. By showing exactly where these similarities and differences lie, and using evidence that goes beyond anecdotes, the book makes a significant contribution to the improvement of public policy in the FDI arena. Its primary finding: globalization reduced foreigness. This is an important resource for professionals and academics alike, and for students of international business and economics on the graduate level.

Covering the state of knowledge on FDI in the 1990s, this work shows how it has moved beyond the polarizing debate over the foreign invasion that characterized much of the writings in the 1980s. It explores multinational companies' political action and corporate citizenship. Its policy section discusses foreign and domestic participation in federal industrial policy programs, and whether current regulations make sense. The book also offers a new approach to demarcating foreign ownership in national security/defense industrial bases. In its policy chapters the book covers the question of national treatment and investment in telecommunications. The book concludes with a timely analysis of the Multilateral Agreement on Investment under review by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and the World Trade Organization.

CNBC's "Fast Money Commentator" Steve Cortes shows how to buck the trend and become a well-informed investor

The public needs to think independently and not be duped, particularly because those who are selling their messages or promoting their ideas have a plethora of powerful media through which to do so. "Against the Herd" presents six contrarian views of major events that will shape the future. Steve Cortes of CNBC pulls no punches in explaining these trends.

Many will find his views counterintuitive and even controversial. Some will find his forecasts alarming. But open-minded readers who are willing to heed his well-informed advice will find it illuminating, beneficial, and profitable.Steve Cortes presents six contrarian views of major events that will shape the future for investors including the fall of China and the end of the golden era of free tradeThe contrarian stances are presented because they are actionableReveals how these events will affect global markets and specific investments, and how and when to take advantage of these key moves

"Against the Herd" shows you how to profit by bucking conventional wisdom and what to do to get ready when situations call for contrarian investing.

Get a flying headstart on trend trading with this comprehensive how-to guide The Universal Tactics of Successful Trend Trading: Finding Opportunity in Uncertainty delivers powerful and practical advice for the serious trend trader. Using the principles identified in The Universal Principles of Successful Trading, author Brent Penfold shows curious investors how to become a long-term winner with tried-and-true trend trading methodologies. The book includes in-depth and comprehensive treatments of topics like: - Why trend trading is so appealing - Popular and effective trend trading strategies - How to measure risk - Common trend trading mistakes and how to avoid them Investors and readers will also discover the importance of risk, and how to judge outcomes and strategies on a risk-adjusted basis. Perfect for anyone interested in trading successfully, The Universal Tactics of Successful Trend Trading is a key strategy guide that belongs on the shelf of anyone involved in the buying and selling of financial securities.

Moving beyond the strategies that managers have employed to create shareholder value -- now the standard for business performance -- management experts James McTaggart, Peter Kontes, and Michael Mankins reveal their powerful new framework for the systematic, day-to-day management of shareholder value. The authors attack head-on the fundamental weaknesses in current management practices, namely, the stranglehold that budgeting has over strategic planning and the lack of imagination in management plans that prevents real changes and consequences. They provide a systematic approach to "value based management" that eliminates these weaknesses, offering proven strategies for managing large, complex companies to consistently produce superior results for stockholders.

Building on more than 16 years of consulting experience with many of the largest and best-known companies in North America, Europe, and Australia, the authors delineate the fundamental principles of value creation, as well as the primary obstacles. Starting with the principle that "cash flows drive value," McTaggart, Kontes, and Mankins show how to create a single governing objective that will enable managers to make decisions most likely to increase the company's competitive, organizational, and financial strength. Building on the objective of maximizing shareholder value, they outline the value based management framework that directly links a company's strategies and organization to its value in capital markets. Using real-world examples, they describe how to develop business and corporate strategies that substantially improve competitive position and increase market value, often within only two to five years. And as most large companies lack the internal processes necessary to manage for value on a sustained basis, the authors show managers how to build the five key processes that are institutional value drivers: governance, strategic planning, resource allocation, performance management, and top management compensation. Mastering these capabilities is fundamental to the ongoing, consistent creation of shareholder value over time.

All companies, the authors argue, inherently possess an enormous potential to create higher value for their shareholders. With hundreds of examples of companies that have successfully employed the beliefs, principles, and practices of value based management, this book shows general managers how to generate superior returns and realize their business's full value potential.

The credit derivatives industry has come under close scrutiny over the past few years, with the recent financial crisis highlighting the instability of a number of credit structures and throwing the industry into turmoil. What has been made clear by recent events is the necessity for a thorough understanding of credit derivatives by all parties involved in a transaction, especially traders, structurers, quants and investors. Fully revised and updated to take in to account the new products, markets and risk requirements post financial crisis, Credit Derivatives: Trading, Investing and Risk Management, Second Edition , covers the subject from a real world perspective, tackling issues such as liquidity, poor data, and credit spreads, to the latest innovations in portfolio products, hedging and risk management techniques. The book concentrates on practical issues and develops an understanding of the products through applications and detailed analysis of the risks and alternative means of trading. It provides: a description of the key products, applications, and an analysis of typical trades including basis trading, hedging, and credit structuring; analysis of the industry standard 'default and recovery' and Copula models including many examples, and a description of the models' shortcomings; tools and techniques for the management of a portfolio or book of credit risks including appropriate and inappropriate methods of correlation risk management; a thorough analysis of counterparty risk; an intuitive understanding of credit correlation in reality and in the Copula model. The book is thoroughly updated to reflect the changes the industry has seen over the past 5 years, notably with an analysis of the lead up and causes of the credit crisis. It contains 50# new material, which includes copula valuation and hedging, portfolio optimisation, portfolio products and correlation risk management, pricing in illiquid environments, chapters on the evolution of credit management systems, the credit meltdown and new chapters on the implementation and testing of credit derivative models and systems. The book is accompanied by a CD ROM which contains tools for credit derivatives valuation and risk management, illustrating the models used in the book and also providing a valuation toolkit. Note: CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of eBook file.

In "Securities Finance," editors Frank Fabozzi and Steven Mann assemble a group of prominent practitioners in the securities finance industry to provide readers with an enhanced understanding of the various arrangements in the securities finance market. Divided into three comprehensive parts--Securities Lending, Bond Financing via the Repo Market, and Equity Financing Alternatives to Securities Lending--this book covers a wide range of securities finance issues, including alternative routes to the securities lending market, evaluating risks in securities lending transactions, U.S. and European repo markets, dollar rolls and their impact on MBS valuation and strategies, derivatives for financing equity positions and equity repos, and more. Filled with in-depth insight and expert advice, "Securities Finance" contains the information readers need to succeed in this rapidly expanding market.

The essays in this open access volume identify the key ingredients for success in capitalizing on public investments in scientific projects and the development of large-scale research infrastructures. Investment in science - whether in education and training or through public funding for developing new research tools and technologies - is a crucial priority. Authors from big research laboratories/organizations, funding agencies and academia discuss how investing in science can produce societal benefits as well as identifying future challenges for scientists and policy makers. The volume cites different ways to assess the socio-economic impact of Research Infrastructures and their role as hubs of global collaboration, creativity and innovation. It highlights the different benefits stemming from fundamental research at the local, national and global level, while also inviting us to rethink the notion of "benefit" in the 21st century. Public investment is required to maintain the pace of technological and scientific advancements over the next decades. Far from advocating a radical transformation and massive expansion in funding, the authors suggest ways for maintaining a strong foundation of science and research to ensure that we continue to benefit from the outputs. The volume draws inspiration from the first "Economics of Big Science" workshop, held in Brussels in 2019 with the aim of creating a new space for dialogue and interaction between representatives of Big Science organizations, policy makers and academia. It aspires to provide useful reading for policy makers, scientists and students of science, who are increasingly called upon to explain the value of fundamental research and adopt the language and logic of economics when engaging in policy discussions.

The International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) are two of the more significant international agencies whose objective is to promote foreign direct investment in less developed countries (LDCs). This is the first detailed treatment of their establishment, the history of their operations, and an evaluation of these operations.

ICSID, established in 1966, facilitates the arbitration or conciliation of investment contract disputes between foreign investors from countries that are signatories of the ICSID Convention and host signatory states. MIGA, whose first year of operations was 1988, insures foreign investment against political risks. Drawing on cases, Baker shows how the functions of these two agencies have encouraged a significant amount of foreign investment in LDCs and how the operations of these two agencies continue to grow in importance. Scholars, professionals, and policy makers will find this to be the most comprehensive description available of these important agencies.

A detailed look at the technical pattern simply referred to today as the Gartley Pattern

Gartley patterns are based on the work of H.M. Gartley, a prominent technical analyst best known for a particular retracement pattern that bears his name. In recent years, Gartley patterns-which reflect the underlying psychology of fear and greed in the markets-have received renewed interest.

This definitive guide skillfully explains how to utilize the proven methods of H.M. Gartley to capture consistent profits in the financial markets. Page by page, you'll become familiar with Gartley's original work, how his patterns can be adapted to today's fast moving markets, and what it takes to make them work for you.Examines how to identify and profit from the most powerful formation in the financial marketsDiscusses the similarities, differences and the superiority of the Gartley Pattern compared to classical chart patterns including Elliott WaveShows how to apply filters to Gartley patterns to improve the probability of your trading opportunities, as well as specific rules where to enter and exit positions

Gartley's pattern is based on a unique market position where most traders refuse to participate due to fear. This book reveals how you can overcome this fear, and how to profit from the most consistent and reliable pattern in the financial markets.

The Florida land boom was an outgrowth of the industrialization of America, the onset of World War I, and the special natural environment of the state. A place for forts and ports since the days of the Spanish Empire, the presence of military aviation in Florida served to bring attention to the state. Florida came to attract tourists, winter residents, as well as promoters, developers, and speculators. Rich in documentation and illustrated with photographs, this work is an effort to give serious theoretical and factual treatment to one of the great speculation booms in history.